A wide-ranging introduction to the beauty and challenge of chess problems

This is a book for those who enjoy problem-solving and appreciate clever solutions, and have at least a basic knowledge of chess. It is about the composition and beauty of chess problems: positions forged not in combat but from pure human imagination, and featuring elegant and surprising solutions.

The author offers a personal view of chess problems, conveying an infectious zeal for his subject. Because this is as much a collection of short stories as it is a conventional problem collection. No matter how you use the book, you can expect many hours of excitement and a craving for more.

Each chapter presents a variety of chess problems of a specific type, ranging from the familiar ‘mate in two’ puzzles via retro-analytical problems worthy of a whodunit novel to 15-move series problems and the ‘outer limits’ of fairy problems (altered rules or pieces). Throughout, the creative processes of problem chess are at the forefront of the discussion.

Readers are given the opportunity to solve most of the problems before being presented with the solutions. Or you can simply enjoy reading the book from cover to cover without ever needing to set up a chessboard.

Göran Forslund was a computer software professional with a PhD in computer science, with a focus on artificial intelligence. He published chess compositions in most genres, and won awards in the World Chess Composition Tournament, and several of his problems have been selected for the FIDE albums. He also served as a judge in chess composition contests. He played regular chess too, with some success: he was a finalist in both the Swedish Junior Championship and the Swedish Correspondence Chess Cup. Göran died in September 2015, just prior to publication of this book.

Download a pdf file with a sample from the book.

“The author’s explanations are clear, fluent and personal... opens the world of chess problems for every chess lover with conciseness and passion” – Miguel Ararat, Florida Chess Magazine

“A book for those who like to solve problems and appreciate smart and, above all, fun solutions. We can say that the author is a pure enthusiast. He has managed to not just put together a collection of chess problems, but the fun is bursting from it! I could go on for a very long time, because there is so much to like in this book that you just have to buy it” – Herman Grooten, www.schaaksite.nl

“Some players don’t mind trotting out the London System 100 times in a row if it brings good results; others enjoy entering a world of endless fantasy and imagination when they play The Royal Game. Those in the latter category should give Problem Chess a look! I suspect Forslund’s brief treatise will be a go-to for problem enthusiasts for a long time to come” – Andre Harding, www.chess-essentials.com

“Challenges both low-rated and high-rated players... many of the problems require thinking outside of the ‘good moves’ box” – WIM Alexey Root, www.sparkchess.com

“Written solely for the reader’s enjoyment... hours and hours of pleasure to those who enjoy solving problems” – IM John Donaldson

“Gambit Publications has come out with this fascinating chess problem book written by Sweden’s Göran Forslund (1958-2015) who was a computer software professional with a PhD in computer science, focusing on artificial intelligence. The book is split in 3 sections: for the solver, for the reader and for the composer. Ever heard of the Towers of Hanoi and check mate in 200 moves? If you ask me, the compositions in this book are artistic masterpieces! One of the best problem books” – John Elburg, chessbooks.nl